4 FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 
mens of some of which he had contributed to the 
temporary Museum. It was not so rich in Roman forts, 
and other works, as some of the border counties were, 
where of old they.had been obliged to keep large bodies 
of troops. Bath, however, presented many remains of 
Roman temples, villas, and sculptures; and several Roman 
roads traverse the county, near which other remains of that 
people are often met with. Some of the finest specimens 
of middle-age architecture existed in this county : some of 
the carved work, especially in wood, he thought, surpassed 
that of any county in the kingdom. The rood-screens, at 
Taunton and elsewhere, were particularly fine; and some 
good specimens of ancient domestic buildings had been 
preserved, owing to the county having been seldom ravaged 
by wars. The ancient papers, preserved among family 
records, in this county were very valuable, and there were 
few things of greater interest than the correspondence of 
former times. Researches of this kind had been brought 
much into note lately, and it was necessary that they should 
have some such society in this county. The society had 
numerous members, and he was very glad to see so many 
celergymen present, for they could render it most eflicient 
service, by examining the parish records and also by re- 
porting on the antiquities and natural history of their 
parishes. He might mention that very often the old bells 
of churches were found to contain some interesting in- 
seription, such as the name of the Saint to whom the church 
was dedicated ; and the staircases of the towers were fre- 
quently subjeets of interest, for he often found that the 
covers of stone coffins and seulptured stones, had been used 
to form the steps. One of the objects of the Society was 
the formation of a Library and Museum to illustrate the 
Antiquities and Natural History of the county ; and they 
